Stock-and-barrel assembly for firearms



PL w. KLlPscH STOCK-AND-BARREL ASSEMBLY FOR FIREARMS June 25, 1940' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fil my ll. 1939 35 Qu Uva da?? am a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f//lf7 P. W. KLIPSCH Fld May l1. 1939 `Fume 25, 1940.

sTocx-ANn-BARREL ASSEMBLY Fon FIREARMS Patented June 25, 1940 UNITE STOCK-AND-BARREL ASSEMBLY FOR FIREARMS Paul W. Klipsch, Houston, Tex., assignor to Western Cartridge Company,

New Haven,

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in firearms and more particularly to improvements in modes of interconnecting the barrelunit and the stock-unit of such iirearms.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved stock-and-barrel assembly for iirearms whereby a superior degree of accuracy of performance is achieved.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior firearm construction wherein the stock-unit and the barrel-unit are so interconnected as to minimize the objectionable vibrations resulting from the discharge oi the rearm.

Another object of the present invention is to provide superior means for interconnecting the barrel-units and the stock-units oi irearms, which will provide for appropriate regulation to compensate for various types of ammunition employed.

A still iurther object of the present invention is to provide a superior rearm construction wherein the amplitude of vibration of the barrel of the firearm with respect to the stock may be held Within predetermined bounds.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a superior stock-and-barrel assembly for firearms wherein the permitted amplitude of vibration of the barrel may be regulated at the will of the user to thereby compensate for various 30 types of ammunition.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over 35 the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes o carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. l is a broken View mainly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of a portion of the barreland the stock of a firearm embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a broken View in vertical centrallongitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the yoke, detached;

50 Fig. 5 is a similar view of the saddle, detached;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View generally corresponding to Fig. 2 but illustrating another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical central-longitudinal section of a rearm incorporating still another form of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 8 8 of Fig 7 l Fig. 9 is a broken top or plan view of the stock l5 oi the construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8;

Fig. l0 is a viewpartly in side elevation and partly in vertical central-longitudinal section of still another embodiment of the present invention; and 1 0 Fig. 1l is a perspective view of the vibrationdampener or barrel-seating spring of the structure of Fig. 10.

The particular embodiment of the present invention herein chosen for illustration in Figs. 1 l5 to 5 inclusive of the accompanying drawings, comprises a barrel 2li which may be of usual form and which is provided with the customary bore 2l. Mounted beneath the barrel 2d is a stock 22, only the forestock portion of which is shown and which is formed in its upper surface with a longitudinal barrel-receiving groove 23 of substantially semicircular form in cross section, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2.

Resting upon the surface of the barrel Z is 25 a semicircular saddle or pad 2d which may be iormed of steel and which has its cylindricallycontoured inner face 25 conformed to the adjacent portion of the outer surface of the barrel Z' so as to snugly fit the same and to distribute 30 stresses applied to the said saddle in such manner as to avoid the distortion of the said barrel. The outer face of the saddle or pad 24 is formed midway between its front and rear edges with a longitudinally extending locating groove 2S 35 which is of semicircular form in cross section, i as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3.

The locating-groove 26 in the saddle or pad 24 receives the central reach 2l' of an inverted U-shaped yoke designated as a whole by the reerence character 28 and comprising also two latl erally-spaced-apart externally-threaded sidearms 29-29 which respectively extend below the terminal ends of the saddle 2i before referred to.

Each side-arm 29--29 of the yoke 28 extends `45 downwardly through the adjacent one of two vertical passages Sti- S formed in the stock 22 on each of the respective opposite sides of the barrel-receiving groove 23 therein. A short distance below the upper face oi the stock 22, each '50 of the passages Sil-3Q, above referred to, is enlarged in diameter to provide a downwardlyopening socket 3| in which is seated an inverted cup-shaped bushing 32 formed of steel or other 55 suitable material and preferably tightly iitting its complemental socket 3| in the stock 22.

Each of the bushings 32-32 comprises a centrally-apertured and relatively-heavy end-wall 33 through which the adjacent side-arm 29 of the yoke 28 passes with a free siliding fit. Depending from the relatively-heavy end-wall 33 of each bushing 32 isa relatively-slender cylindricallyontoured side-wall 34 extending downwardly substantially to the under face of the adjacent portion of the stock 22, as will be observed by reference to Fig. 2`.

Each of the complemental side-arms 29-29 of the yoke 28 is'encircled by a helical vibrationcontrol spring 35 `which is located within the adjacent one of the two bushings 32-32, and which has its upper terminal seated againstthe under face of the end-wall 33 of the said bushing. The opposite or lower end of each of the vibration-control springs 35-35 is seated against the upper face of an adjusting nut 35 which is provided with an internally-threaded bore 31 for threaded engagement with the particular externally-threaded side-arm 29 of the yoke 28 with which it is associated. Each of the adjustingnuts 36 is of cylindrical form exteriorly and is sized to be rotatable smoothly within the adjacent one of the bushings 32.

For convenience in effecting adjustments, each of the adjusting-nuts 36-36 is formed in its lower edge with a kerf 38 by means of which it may be turned for tightening or loosening the tension applied to its complemental vibrationcontrol spring 35, by means of a screw driver inserted through the open lower end of a given one of the bushings 32.

By means of the construction and arrangement of the parts above described, the marksman may adjust the down-pull or seating-pull of the yoke 28 by suitable manipulation of the adjusting-nuts 36-36 until by test the grouping of the shot upon the target indicates the minimum group-size and substantial uniformity of pattern.

Tests have indicated that different lots of ammunition require different adjustments of the tension of the vibration-control springs 35-35 or their equivalent as, for instance, ammunition charged with smokeless powder apparently requires a greater tensioning of the said vibrationcontrol spring than does semi-smokeless ammunition, apparently due to different vibration effects upon the barrel 20.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 6 corresponds in all essentials to that shown in the preceding figures, and the parts bear reference ycharacters corresponding to the reference characters designating the structure of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, with the addition of the reference character a. For instance, the barrel 26a and the Stock 22a, etc. In addition to the features common to the structure of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the structure of Fig. 6 includes a helical counterpoise-spring 39 which is seated in an upwardlyopening pocket 4U in the stock 22a and which at its upper end is engaged with the under surface of the barrel 20a immediately below the center line of the bore 2|a therein.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the construction shown in Fig. 6 corresponds to that shown in the preceding figures, save that in addition, a counterpoise-spring 39 is so located as to aid in dampening the vibrations which might be set up in the barrel 20a as a result of the discharge of the firearm, and hence the said counterpoise-spring aids in causing the firearm in which it forms a part, to more consistently peli# form.

Referring now to the structure shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, it will be noted that a barrel 4| is provided in its under face with a transverselyextending dovetail-groove 42 receiving a similarly-shaped rib 43h on the upper surface of a barrel-lug 43 forming, to all practical purposes, a part of the barrel 4| and extending downwardly therefrom into a vertical passage 44 in a forestock 45.

The vertical passage 44 in the forestock 45 extends from the under side of the latter into intersecting relationship with a longitudinal barrel-receiving groove. 46 in the said `forestock, and has at its lower end a lateral enlargement 4l. Seated in the lateral enlargement 41 of the vertical passage 44 just referred to, is the annular flange 48 of an inverted cup-shaped bushing 49 which is firmly seated in the said vertical passage 44.

Located within the bushing 49 and thrusting against the upper end-wall 50 thereof is a helical vibration-control spring having its opposite or lower end seated against the upper face of the head 52 of an adjusting-screw 53. The said adjusting-screw 53 extends upwardly freely through the aperturedv end-wall 56 of the bushing 49 and'into threaded engagement with an internally-threaded bore 54 'formed in the barrel-lug 43 before referred to.

On each of the respective opposite sides of the vertical passage 44 in the forestock 45, the said forestock is provided with one of two oppositely-located longitudinal land-like barrelseats 55-55 which are preferably formed integral with the said forestock vand which extend upwardly a slight degree above the general contour of the barrel-receiving groove 46 therein.

By providing the barrel-seats 55-55 or their equivalent, it is possible to conveniently determine the degree of seating of the barrel 4| with respect to the forestock 45 and to thereby avoid to a large measure any objectionable bending stresses upon the said barrel which might occur i were an effort made to rely upon the careful fitting of the entire surface of the barrel-receiving groove 46.

From the foregoing it vwillbe seen that the barrel 4| of the structure` of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 maybe drawn downwardly into seating engagement with the forestock 45 by the tension of the vibration-control spring 5| which may be conveniently regulated to meet the exigencies of various conditions, by the appropriate manipulation of the adjusting-screw 53.

In Figs. 10 and 11 is illustrated a variant of the present invention in which a barrel 56 is yieldingly seated with respect to a forestock 51 by means of a sheet-metal vibration-controlling spring 58.

The barrel 56 of the construction now being described is like the structure of Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive provided in its under face with a transversely-extending v dovetail-groove 59 which snugly receives a dovetail-rib 6D formed at'the upper end of a barrel-lug 6| depending from the barrel 56 and extending into a clearancepocket 62 in the forestock`51. The clearancepocket 62 just referred to leads downwardly from a longitudinal barrel-receiving groove 63 in the forestock 57 and has in turn leading downwardly from it in line with theV barrel-lug 6|, a clearance-passage 64 designed for the purpose as will hereinafter appear. f

The vibration-controlling spring 58 may be conveniently formed ofspring steel and has its respective opposite ends rmly secured to the forestock l within clearance-passage 62 therein by means of anchoring-screws {i5-65, each of which extends downwardly through one end of the said spring 58 and into threaded engagement with one of two similar nut-like escutcheons B65-66 mounted in the under face of the forestock 5l, as is shown in Fig. 10.

The vibration-control spring 58 is formed midway of its length with a central aperture 61 through which freely extends the externallythreaded shank 68 of an adjusting-screw 59. The adjusting-screw 69 just referred to includes a head 'mbthepupperrface of which nseats against the under face of the vibration-controllingiispring 58, as is clearly shown in Fig. l0. The externally-threaded shank $8 of the adjusting-screw G9 extends into threaded engagement with an internally-threaded bore 'H n the barrel-lug El before described.

With respect to the structure of Figs. and 11, it will be obvious that the elastic force provided by the vibration-controlling spring 58 tending to seat the barrel 56 in the groove S3 of the iorestock 5l, may be conveniently adjusted or regulated to meet the requirements of various conditions by means of a screw driver inserted upwardly through the clearance-passage 64 in the forestock 5l', to effect the appropriate turning of the adjusting-screw 59.

Various theories may be readily evolved as to the benecial eiects of providing adjustable vibration-controlling spring-forces tending to seat a firearm-barrel with respect to its complemental stock, but regardless of theory, it has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of experts that the construction and arrangement of parts above dedrawings does permit of the securing of consist- `ently better scores and closer grouping of shots with a given firearm than has been before feasible.

The invention may be carried out in other specic ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A firearm construction, including in combination: a barrel; a stock adjacent the said barrel; a two-armed yoke extending around the said barrel and having spaced-apart side-arms extending into the said stock; spring-means carriedby the said stock and drawing downwardly upon the said yoke to, in turn, draw downwardly upon the said barrel; and adjusting-means adjusting the downward pull of the said springmeans upon the said yoke to thereby adjust the barrel-seating effect of the said yoke and springmeans.

2. A firearm construction, comprising: a stock provided in its upper face with a longitudinal barrel-receiving groove; a barrel located in the barrel-receiving groove of the said stock; a twoarmed yoke extending around the said barrel and having spaced-apart side-arms extending downwardly into the said stock; spring-means carried by the said stock and drawing downwardly upon the said yoke to, in turn, draw downwardly upon the said barrel to seat the same in the barrelreceiving groove of the said stock; and adjustingmeans adjusting the downward pull of the said spring-means upon the said yoke to thereby adjust the barrel-seating eiect of the said yoke and the said spring-means.

3. A firearm construction, including in combination: a barrel; a stock adjacent the said barrel; an arcuate saddle extending over the upper surface of the said barrel and having a locatinggroove therein; an inverted U-shaped yoke having its mid-portion seated in the locating-groove in the said saddle and having complemental sidearms extending downwardly into the said stock; spring-means drawing the said inverted U- n shaped yoke downwardly to bring the said barrel into seated engagement with respect tothe said stock; and adjusting-means for varying the tension of the said spring-means to increase or decrease the barrel-seating effects of the said inverted U-shaped yoke and the arcuate saddle engaged thereby.

4. A firearm construction, including in combination: a barrel; a stock extending below and adjacent the said barrel; a barrel-seating structure connecting the said barrel to the said stock with capacity for seating-adjustment of the barrel with respect to the stock; spring-means comprising part of the said barrel-seating structure and constructed and arranged to cause the said barrel to be urged downwardly in seated relationship with respect to the said stock and to yieldingly resist upward movement of the said barrel with respect to the said stock; and adjustingmeans also comprising part of the said barrelseating structure and constructed and arranged to vary the tension of theI said spring-means to increase or decrease the barrel-seating effect of the said barrel-seating structure and correspondingly changing the said yielding resistance to upward movement of the said barrel with respect t0 the said stock.

5. A firearm construction, including in combination: a stock provided in its upper face with a longitudinal barrel-receiving groove; a barrel located in the longitudinal barrel-receiving groove of the said stock; a barrel-seating structure connecting the said barrel to the said stock with capacity for seating-adjustment of the barrel with respect to the stock; spring-means comprising part of the said barrel-seating structure and yieldingly urging the said barrel downwardly into seated relationship within the barrel-receiving groove of the said stock and yieldingly resisting upward movement of the said barrel with respect to the said stock; and adjusting-means also comprising part of the said barrel-seating structure and constructed and arranged to increase or decrease the resilient barrel-seating eiTects of the said barrel-seating structure and correspondingly i changing the yielding resistance thereof to upward movement of the said barrel with respect to the said stock.

6. A firearm construction, including in combination: a barrel; a stock extending below and adjacent the said barrel; a barrel-seating structure connecting the said barrel to the said stock with capacity for seating-adjustment of the barrel with respect to the stock; a helical barrelseating spring comprising part of the said barreland adjusting-means constructed and arranged to vary the tension of the said helical barrel- Seating springto increase or decreasethe barrelseating eiiect of the said barrel-seating structure and correspondingly changing the said yieldingresistance to upward movementl of the saidbarrel with respect to the said stock.`

'7. A firearm construction, comprising: a stock provided in its upper face with a longitudinal barrel-receiving groove; a barrel located in the barrel-receiving groove of the said stock; a barrel-seating structure connecting the said barrel to the said stock with capacity for seating-adjustment of the barrel with respect to the stock; a helical barrel-seating spring comprising part of the said barrel-seating structure and constructed and arranged to urge the said barrel deeper into the barrel-receiving groove of the said stock and to yieldingly resist upward move- -ment of the said barrel with respect to the said stock; and adjusting-means also comprising part of the said barrel-seating structureand constructed and arranged to increase or decrease the resilient `barrel-seating effect of the said helical barrel-seating spring and to yieldingly resist up- `ward movement of the said barrel with respect to the said stock.

8. A firearm construction', including in combination: a barrel; a stock adjacent the said barrel; an inverted two-armed yoke extending around the said barrel and having two side-arms extending downwardly into the said stock; Vtwo helical springs each encircling one of the sidearms of the said inverted U-shaped yoke and engaged at one end with the said stock; and a pair of adjusting-nuts each threaded onto one of the said side-arms of the said inverted U- shaped yoke and bearing against the said helical spring encircling the same, to adjust the barrelseating effect thereof.

9. A firearm construction, comprising: a stock provided in its upper face with a longitudinal barrel-receiving groove; a barrel located in the barrel-receiving groove of the said stick; a twoarmed yoke extending around the said barrel and having spaced-apart side-arms extending downwardly into the said stock; two helical sprlngs each encircling one of they side-arms of the said U-shaped yoke; and a pair OfadjuSting-nuts each threaded onto one of the said side-arms of the said U-shaped yoke and bearing against the said helical spring encircling the `same to adjust the downward pull upon the said U-shaped yoke and lhence the barrel-seating effect thereof.

10. A iirearm construction, including in combination: a barrel; a stock adjacent the said barrel; an arcuate saddle extending over the upper surface of the said barrel and having a locatinggroove therein; an inverted U-shaped yoke having its mid-portion seated in the locating-groove in the said saddle and having complemental sidearms extending downwardly into the said stock; two helical barrel-seating springs each encircling one of the side-arms of the said inverted U- shaped yoke; and a pair of adjusting-nuts each threaded onto one of the said side-arms of the said U-shaped yoke and bearing against one-vof vthe said helical springs to adjust the vbarrel-seatadjacent the said barrel; a barrel-seating structure connecting the said barrel to the saidstock with capacity for seating-adjustment of the barrel with respect to the stock; spring-means comprising part of the said barrel-seating structure and constructed and arranged to cause the said barrel to be urged downwardly in seated relationship with respect lto the said stock; and a counterpoise-spring yieldingly opposing the force of the said spring-means of the barrel-seating structure and assisting in dampening the vibrations of the yieldingly-seated barrel.

12. A firearm construction, including in combination: a barrel; a stock extending below and adjacent the said barrel; a barrel-seating structure connecting the said barrel to the said stock with capacity for seating-adjustment of the barrel with respect to the stock; a sheet-metal barrel-seating spring comprising part of the said barrel-seating structure and constructed and arranged to yieldingly cause the said barrel to be urged downwardly into seated relationship with respect to the said stock and to yieldingly resist upward movement of the said barrel with respect to the said stock; and adjusting-means also comprising partof the said barrel-seating structure and arranged to vary the tension oi the said sheet-metal barrel-seating spring to increase or decrease the barrel-seating effect of the said barrel-seating structure and correspondingly changing the said yielding resistance to upward movemen-t of the said barrel with respect to the said stock.

13. A firearm construction, including in combination: a barrel; a stock extending below and adjacent thersaid barrel; a barrel-seating structure connecting the said barrel to the said stock with capacity for seating-adjustment of the barrel with respect to the stock; a sheet-metal barrel-seating spring comprising part of the said barrel-seating structure, the said spring being carried by the said stock and secured thereto at each of its respective opposite ends; and an adjusting-screw also comprising part of the said barrel-seating structure and extending through the said sheet-metal barrel-seating spring to provide a threaded connection between the said barrel and the said spring, the said adjusting-screw being adjustable from beneath the said stock toward or from the said barrel to increase or decrease thel barrel-seating effects of the said 'sheet-metal barrel-seating spring.A

14. In a firearm construction, the combination with a barrel and forestock of: means for producing resilient and minutely-adjustable pressure between said barrel and said forestock, said means comprising a groove in said forestock so shaped that said barrel rests therein at two small areas of the order of a fraction of an inch to twoV or three inches long and of the order of less than one-third the barrel diameter in width,

whereby the support is substantially that of a V-block; a spring for providing pressure between `said barrel and said V-block; a screw for increasing or decreasing the tension of the said spring to adjust said pressure; means associated with said barrel for engagement with said screw; and a bearing-support portion within said forestock for other engagement with said screw and located in substantially-vertical'relationship to the screw-engaging means of the said barrel; said spring, screw and the said associated means being ,so disposedthat the pressure is substantially devoid of 'side-thrust whereby the pressure is ap- 4plied vertically when the firearm is in normal ring position.

PAUL W. KLIPSCH. 

